How to Email People on Craigslist

Written by Nicole Levine, MFA

Last Updated: March 5, 2024

Craigslist currently offers a two-way relay email feature that helps lower users’ exposure to spam and scams. In most cases, you can send emails to people on Craigslist by replying to their postings.

Contacting Someone on Craigslist

To reply to a Craigslist post, just click the reply button. To use your device's default email app, select the first link. Otherwise, select the web-based email you use (like Gmail or Yahoo) or copy and paste the email address at the bottom of the window into a new email manually.

Steps

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Click on “Reply” located at the top-left corner of the Craigslist post. A floating menu with a list of email options will display on-screen.
- If the pop-up menu doesn’t display, it’s possible a third-party browser extension or add-on is preventing the pop-up from displaying properly. If this occurs, disable any unfamiliar add-ons, close and reopen your browser, and try again.
- In some cases, private browsing or incognito mode may prevent the pop-up menu from displaying. Disable private browsing temporarily if needed to reply to a posting on Craigslist.
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Click on your preferred email contact method from the list of options provided.
- Click on the link below “Reply by email” to reply using your default email client.
- Click on “Gmail,” “Yahoo Mail,” “Hotmail/Outlook/Live Mail,” or “AOL Mail” to reply using one of these webmail services.
- Copy and paste the “reply-to” address provided if you want to use an alternate email program.
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Wait for your email client to open. If you chose to reply using your default email client or webmail service, Craigslist will automatically paste the reply-to address into the “To” field.
- If you chose to copy and paste the reply-to address into an alternate email program, open your email client and copy/paste the reply-to address into the “To” field.
” Your email will then be sent to the Craigslist user whose posting you replied to.^{[1]
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Community Q&A

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Question

How many emails can I send in a day?

Community Answer

If using the Gmail mail server, you can send approximately 100 to 150 emails per day.

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How can I attach pictures to the reply?

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Click on Pin Files, and from Computer, you should be able to attach multiple files.

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How can I add "cash only" to my Craigslist listing?

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Community Answer

When you compose your ad, describe item & add to description “CASH TERMS ONLY.”

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Tips

When emailing people on Craigslist, keep in mind that most scam attempts are initiated via email, according to Craigslist. Beware of possible scams that may involve the wiring of funds, shipping fees for products being sold, transactions in which the other person wants to pay with a money order or cashier’s check, and requests for personal background checks.^{[2]
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Warnings

When corresponding with other users on Craigslist, stick to using Craigslist’s two-way email relay system instead of providing your real email address, if possible. This can help reduce occurrences of spam if for some reason the person you are contacting is not real, and can also help prevent identity theft.

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